Top 10 technologies for 2011

Want to save money, increase productivity, or gain a competitive advantage? Stay on top of the latest technology trends. When you keep your eye on the latest trends in the tech world, you’ll run across some new opportunities for your company.

But how do you know which trends will stick and which will fade? Gartner recently published the results of their research into the top technologies for 2011. Technologies on this list will most likely affect many aspects of the business world in the coming years.

I noticed a couple of items on the list which I believe are “can’t miss” trends. In other words, ignore them at your own peril. The first “can’t miss” technology on this list is mobile. There is no doubt that the world is going mobile. What is your company doing about it? If you want my advice, check out the blog post on mobile apps from last week.

The second “can’t miss” technology is next-generation analytics. Data is more comprehensive and accessible than ever before. How are you gaining a competitive advantage with your data? You should have systems and applications in place to analyze past data and make quick decisions based on that data. For a quick example, check out the ‘What-if analysis’ application.

Want to really get ahead? Combine mobile with next-gen analytics. That’s where the world is going after all. You might as well get a head start.

How about you? Are there any other “can’t miss” trends we should know about?